One of the realities of complex human organizations is that culture is emergent, that we put teams and departments and structures in place and then we hope. Whatever sort of campus culture that comes out of that cocktail is what we’re stuck with.

Our guests today are here to demonstrate that culture can be crafted, developed, and encouraged when approached with intention. Jennifer Williams serves as director of campus climate, and Katy Rees as associate VP for finance and administrative services at Cal State University San Marcos. Thanks to the deep support of their president, the two have spearheaded an initiative to build a healthy culture and along the way uncovered some fascinating lessons around the role of strategy, demographics, and what it takes to truly engage around core service delivery.